Writing
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| sharing writing with classmates |
We are hard at work on creating narratives. During first grade, students will learn to develop small moment stories which are stories based on something that they have done or experienced. To help students realize that they have many stories to tell we created heart maps. Heart maps are personalized brainstorms about important people, places and things in their lives. The heart maps will be stored in writing folders and are works in progress. I encourage you to ask your child what he/she put on his/her heart map. You might also discuss events that could be added to the map. The most powerful stories are ones that the author is excited to tell.
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| using the document camera to present |
We are continuing with the sequential structure introduced in kindergarten of "one day...", "then...", and "finally..." We will be expanding these stories by adding details and other elements of author's craft. If your child is telling you a story, encourage them to use detailed language and descriptive words.
Please remember that I typically do not send writing home until the end of the school year. Keeping writing at school allows the students to return to favorite stories and to reflect more easily upon their progress and their goals.
Friday in the Forest
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| working on leaf art |
Friday was a beautiful day to spend time outside in the forest. We discussed leaves, their importance to trees and read
The Leaf Man by Lois Ehlert. Students then had time to collect leaves and to create leaf art. Some students made very elaborate leaf portraits while others preferred to focus on collecting colorful leaves. We will be continuing to work in the forest next week as we begin to learn more about our community and mapping.
Open House
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| the beginning of a leaf man |
Our annual open house will be held Thursday, October 19th. This evening is scheduled from 6PM to 7PM. This is an opportunity for your child to show you our classroom and some of the things that we are working on. It is mostly a child guided "presentation". It is not necessary for you to stay for the entire hour. Please do what is best for your family. Additional information can be found in the school newsletter.
Book Orders
September book orders have been delivered to the students. They were excited to receive their books. In addition to the personal orders place, our class also received a Mo Willems book for each child in our class. I will not be sending home the October flyer as I have not yet received it from Scholastic. If you wish to place an on-line order, you may do so at any time. I will be sending home the next paper order later this month. If you ever wish to keep the books you order as surprise, please let me know and I will contact you when the orders arrive.
PE Lab
A permission slip was sent home by Mr. Blanchard on Friday for our field trip on November 8th . We will need drivers and chaperones for this trip to be the most successful. If you are able to join us on the trip and are not sure if you have completed the appropriate paperwork, please let me know and I can check with Mrs. Badger. The sooner you complete the paperwork, the more likely it will be back in time for our trip.
